Armored vehicle.



Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

5 nvewtoz JAN ZAWACKI, OF BRIDGEPORT, vGQNNE@TIICUT.

ARMORED VEHICLE.

Application ledllvlay 24, 1917.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAN ZAwAoxna subject of the Czar of Russia, resident of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented -certain new and useful Improvements in Armored Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in armed and armored automobiles, and has as its obj ect the provision of a vehicle provided with armored sides by means of which the occupants are protected and which is further provided with an offensive implement of novel design.

A further object is to provide means whereby the roof'of the vehicle is provided with a rotative sweeping device, whereby any article falling lthereon is immediately brushed away.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel design, construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a materialpart of this disclosure,and in which Y Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a vehicle made in accordance with the invention,-parts being removed in order vto show the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective fragmental view indicating the attaching means of one of the attacking or offensive weapons.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3`3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the cover sweeping element.

The invention includes a truck 10, mounted upon rear wheels 1l, the front wheels 12 being arranged as in an ordinary automo` bile, operated by the steering wheel 13, immediately in the rear of the engine or motor 14, a seat 15 being provided for the occupant, the chassis being similar in all respects to the ordinary type.

Mounted upon the rear of the platform or truck frame 10 is a motor 18, actuated by a current of electricity derived from the main engine or other source.

Rigidly secured on the end of the platform is a transverse bar 20, a similar but longer bar 21 being disposed toward the center of the car, other transverse bars 22, 23 and Q4 passing transversely across the platform toward the fr onj; and which are used as SHPPOIS for 'the' angularly disposed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. r14, 1.917. ISerial-ENQ 170,578.

metal lwallsarranged in pairs^25 upon oppoi site Vsides o'ffthe 1vehicle=atfthe rear, similar but longer plates 26 being/disposed slidably upon the bars 22, 23, and 24, forming in effect a diamond lshaped-'structurecompletely enveloping the 'vehicle and -its fmechanism,

the plat-es extending from a point nearthe wheel'bottom to such a Ydistance above the platform as fto accommodate occupants thereo-n.

rlhe rearpl-ates25 are-held outwardly under-pressure offthe coiled springs 28 and 30, similar springs'32, 33 and 34being:disposed vbetween 'the platform andithe Pfr-'ont `walls-26 in such manner fthat the plates are normally extended, but which obviously -irelax `under impact or thrustof an object applied from the exterior offthe vehicle.

It is to be understood that these gplates,

vwhile having ftheir Aedges Vclosely adjacent,

are so arranged as to act independently one of the other, and openings 38 nare Aprovided for the admissionof light and'airythe same also providing fmeans :whereby the operator isena'bled to look out andfdirectzthe vehicle.

A diamond shaped metallic platefcover is disposed over lthe iframe, so ithat articles dropped from above may not enter the vehicle to damagethe Aoccupants.

A lshaft 40, mounted substantially centrally of the vehicle, rests upon the foot bearing 41, and extends upward above the cover plate 35, having a hub 42 secured at its upper projecting end and attached to the hub are a plurality of vanes or sweeper elements 44, adapted to brush away any article which rests upon the roof 35, so that should an explosive bomb or the like light thereon, it is immediately brushed to the ground.

The shaft 40 has engaged upon it a bevel gear 45, driven by a mating gear 46, attached to the hub of which is a sprocket wheel 47, a similar sprocket wheel 48 being rigidly secured upon the shaft of the motor 18 and engaged therebetween is a sprocket chain 49, whereby rotary motion is communicated to thev shaft and the arms or vanes 44 caused to rapidly rotate. pairof arms extend outwardly from the upper front part of the vehicle, carrying at their forward end bearings 5l, shafts 52 being rotatably mounted in the bearings, and driven by sprockets 53, engaged by chains 54, through trains of gears 55, the drivers of which are rigidly secured to the mater Shaft in. auch manna that @they om,

vor its armored walls,

or both of the driving sprockets may be rotated by operating the clutches 56 through the connections 66 by manipulating the handles 67.

Hingedly attached to the shaft '52, at the end proiecting through the plates 26, and upon opposite sides, are spars 58, the same gradually tapering to the extreme end 59, and connecting through the loops 60 and ring 61 are a plurality of sharply pointed spur elements62, which obviously remain in a pendent position.

When the. shaft 52 is caused to rotate at a high rate of speed, the spars 58, through centrifugal force, are held normally outwardsubstantially in alinement and in advance of 'the vehicle, the spurs 62 likewise being thrown out through centrifugal force, presenting an effect as best shown in Fig. 8, and it will be seen that as the spars 58 are in their combined length VconsiderablyV wider than the widest part Vof the vehicle that the device may be used very effectually in forcing a passage through a group of persons. v

When it is not desired to make use of the spars, the same may be folded'upon their hinges alongside the walls of the car, thereby offering Vno material obstruction to its passage.

V1. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination with a self-propelled dirigible truck, of obliquely vdisposed walls slidably arranged in pairs upon each side of said truck, means for keeping said walls in their Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing Washington, D. C.

outermost position, a cover plate over said truck, a vertical shaft passing therethrough, a plurality of arms rotatable over said cover, and means for rotating said arms.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination with a self-propelled dirigible truck, of a shaft transversely arranged at the front of said vehicle, a motor carried by said truck, connections between said motor and said shaft whereby the latter may be rotated, Va pair of oppositely disposed bars hingedly engaged with the end of said shaft and upon opposite sides of the vehicle, and a plurality of spurs hingedly engaged with each of said bars.

3. Ina vehicle of the class described, the

` combination with a self-propelled dirigible truck, a diamond shaped casing secured to said truck, 'the walls of said casing being relatively movable, a Cover over said truck, a vertical shaft extending upward through said cover, means carried by said shaft for sweeping said cover, a horizontal shaft disposed between the walls of saidcasing at the eXtreme front of the vehicle, means for driving both of said shafts, bars engaged at the ends of said horizontal shaft in such manner as to fold alongside the walls of said vehicle, and a plurality of spurs loosely engaged with said bars, said spurs being normally pendent and so arranged as to be thrown radially Voutward due to the centrifugal eiect of the rotation of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

JAN ZAWACKI.

the Commissioner of Patents, 

